Allamaraine, nerds! It’s our three year anniversary! Come celebrate with three epic Nerd Nite All Stars. Your favorite NOAA nerd, Jared Rennie, is back to teach you how to forecast the weather. Your favorite supermodel(er), Drew Jones, is back to tell you ten of the worst climate change solutions. And your favorite Polynesian cultural expert, Tavi, is back after literally stealing the show last month to give us another spectacular demonstration of culture while examining Chief of War.
August 13th, 2026 doors 6pm, show 7pm at River Arts District Brewing Co.
Pre-sale tickets $10, door $15 (cash or Venmo). Get your pre-sale tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/nerd-nite-asheville-august-2026
This month’s lineup:
Jared Rennie
Weather Forecasting 101
Are you upset when the forecast calls for 65 degrees but it’s actually 67? Do you yell at the sky when it’s raining even though the app said there was only a 20% chance? Do you write a sternly worded social media post when your plans fell through because there was a tornado warning yet no tornado? Have no fear because your friendly neighborhood meteorologist is here to guide you through the jargon and acronyms. Come learn about how weather models work, learn some useful tips, and have fun while being prepared for nature’s worst.
Jared Rennie (he/him) is a research meteorologist for NOAA who sits on a treasure trove of data. Originally from Boston, he moved to Asheville in 2010 to perform climate research, primarily focusing on heat waves. Recently, he has shifted efforts towards science communication, bridging the gap between climate extremes and vulnerable communities. Threads/IG: @jjrenniewx | BlueSky/Twitter: @jjrennie | Signal: @jjrennie.19
Drew Johnson
The Top Ten Dumbest Ways to Solve Climate Change
As the planet heats up, so does our appetite for miracle cures. Carbon-sucking vacuum cleaners. A trillion trees. Giant space mirrors. We’ll put ten of the wildest ideas to the test using a surprisingly addictive climate simulator.
Drew studied modeling at Dartmouth and MIT and led the 33-person En-ROADS simulation team whose work received the System Dynamics Society’s award for best real-world modeling application after engaging 128 members of the U.S. Congress and 1.7 million users across 166 countries. He persists despite reason. Linville Gorge helps. https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-jones-b4a7bb4/ https://www.facebook.com/share/1ANjX7nJQR/?mibextid=wwXIfr https://www.climateinteractive.org/
Tavi
Chief of War or Chief of Bore?
Is Apple TV’s Chief of War a great representation of Hawaiian History or is it just an excuse to see Jason Momoa’s butt? The Unification of the Hawaiian Islands is a long and arduous story to tell. How does the Historical Drama compare to History itself? Tavi will explain the key historical figures and events as well as the cultural traditions that inspired Chief of War through props, costumes, language, videos, music, dance, and FIRE
Tavi grew up in WNC and moved to Hawaii for school, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Mathematics. This journey also included a career in Polynesian Performance. Now, he is a Middle School Math and Science Teacher at Odyssey Community School located here in Asheville. When Tavi isn’t teaching, he is creating his next cosplay, dancing with fire, or myriad of other random things. You can find him on Socials as Tavi Does Stuff! Instagram @tavi.does.stuff
With your host, Von
This month we look back at season three!
Three whole years of Nerd Nite Asheville! Wow! That’s 36 presentations, hundreds of Star Trek references, thousands of nerds, and millions of Allamaraines! Probably, who knows. This month, we’ll look back at the presentations from the past year, but only briefly, because Tavi’s in the show, which that means he’s going to do the absolute most. Anniversary Allamaraine!
Von claims this show for the Romulan Empire. (IG: @nerdniteAVL)